hi guys and girls,
Compression i have struggled with for years to try and understand and now matter how many tutorials and advice i find i always dont quite seem the point of compression...of course there is one other wise it would not be used, i only ever hear after compression is used on a track that the volume is louder..but compression has many functions..i want to ask is it possible that i can not hear what compression does due to the fact i am tone deaf?..meaning i can hear of course tones and appreciate music but i could not tell you for the life of me the difference between a A or G...any thoughts on this guys?
regards Peter

The human ear can track things more easily if they do not fade in and out. Because of this, when a signal is not front and center (I.e. buried in the mix), compressing it allows volume to be lowered more before the listener loses it.

I.e. softer sounds are aided by compression in this way.

You're probably not sure what to listen for.
Compression is commonly used to control / alter a track or mix's dynamic range so that quieter sections are louder and louder sections are quieter.
 
For example even if the mix is at a steady volume a vocal track may have trouble staying on top of a mix in some sections and be too loud in others due to the singer's breathe control, energy levels and changing mic position (moving in & out).
By using compression you can even out the dynamics of the track making the performance sound more consistant.
 
 

peter47
...is it possible that i can not hear what compression does due to the fact i am tone deaf?

No. It's just very difficult to hear something that's not there. Add a flanger or distortion and the difference is easy to discern, but when you employ an effect that removes something it's hard to know what to listen for. A/B listening is therefore necessary to hear what's not there after compression.
 
I'd suggest starting with extreme settings on a percussive source such as a ride cymbal or snare drum, and fiddling with attack times to gradually tune your ear to what's happening. You should be able to clearly hear the difference between a 0.5ms attack and a 5ms attack, for example, as the initial hits are suppressed or let through.

Check this thread out:
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com/When-do-you-use-Release-on-a-compressor-m3563936.aspx
 
I have done a good explanation on how to set them up. But yes I agree they can certainly be one of the more subtle effects for sure.
 
What is interesting though is once you put a VU meter over a track (especially one that has got nice ballistics e.g. either a real one or a meter like the Klanghem) the moment you insert a compressor the VU changes its movement big time. It may not be so audible but it is certainly visible. 

Strummed guitar, especially acoustic, is also excellent material to hear (and see in the waveform) what compression does.

thanks for the feedback..this is a great community for help and reading these reply's has givin me more insight then years of looking at youtube..
ps. i am trying to build a profile and avatar so bear with me...regards Peter

pps, i have uploaded a profile pic of my self in jpg 235kb in size but it is not showing???

Arrt attack release ratio threshold

Also it's worth considering that many people find it a lot easier to hear what the compressor is doing when listening at low volumes. I know I do.